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Summary: Catch-22, A Good Book
Review: Catch-22 lays out an entirely radical yet competent way of explaining war, or rather, of explaining the inexplicability of war. Portrayed through confusion and satire, Joseph Heller's Catch-22 is simultaneously humourous and cutting. Given to similarly amusing and sickening, Heller says all there is to say about the insanity and inhumanity of war.Catch-22 opens during World War II with John Yossarian, a bomber in the Air Force, most fixedly in the hospital with liver problems. However, Yossarian is not actually sick, but is feinting disease to isolate himself from the death of war. A naturally high temperature leads doctors to believe Yossarian is sick when he is not. When Yossarian finally leaves the hospital and goes back to his unit, he finds himself stationed on the island of Pianosa, near the Italian coast and the Mediterranean Sea. It is not clear whether the hospital scene comes before after the next part Yossarian narrates, because his narrative jumps back and forth through time. It is part of the confusion which controls the reader's perception of the nonsensicality of war. Out of the hospital, it seems like nobody seems to truly understand that there is a war going on except for Yossarian. In fact, Yossarian is so set on the death involved with war that he believes that everyone is trying to kill him specifically. He finds it infuriating that "millions of people" are trying to kill for no fault of his own. As he says in an argument with Clevinger about the pointlessness and misdirection of war, "The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on." In this perception, Yossarian is unique and practical, decisively demanding that his life is more important than national ideals or abstract principles. He is completely determined to gain immortality or die trying. The largest perceived threat on Yossarian's life at the moment is his air missions, and so attempts to find a way to be grounded. Yossarian asks Doc Daneeka if he would be grounded if he were found to be crazy. Daneeka tells him yes, but there's a catch: Catch-22 says that there's a rule that says for any pilot to be grounded for reasons of insanity must first ask to be grounded. However, anyone who asks to be grounded must obviously be sane. This is Yossarian's first encounter with Catch-22, but it comes back to meet him and others again and again. The most poignant description of Catch-22 is given near the end of the book by an old woman mourning in the ruins of what was once a city. She sums it up by saying that "[The soldiers] have the right to do anything we can't stop them from doing." This is portrayed through every bureaucratic move throughout the entire novel. Higher ranking officers do things to their subordinates simply because they can, or because they believe it will give them a good reputation or promotion. Yossarian and his companions are simply inhuman resources for their blindly ambitious superior officers to take advantage of. Their officers would rather their men took pictures of their bombing runs that looked impressive rather than actually accomplish anything. On top of this, the men can never leave, because higher ranking officials simply raise the number of missions they are required to run before leaving. In this way, all the men are retained within the authorities control. All this is done simply because they can. Because "they have the right to do anything we can't stop them from doing." Catch-22 is, in essence, the law that makes war and murder "legal," the mind-set that moralizes any immoral act, the entire mechanism under which the army can feasiblely run. Without Catch-22, war could not exist, because of morals, values, ethics, individualism, and anything else that governs rational human thought. A perfect example of the completely nonsensical nature of the surroundings is the power positions. In this story, the mess officer Milo Minderbinder is the one of the most powerful people in the world. He has such a hold on economics that he practically control the entire world. He bombs his own camp as a result of a deal with Germany, he employs the use of every air force in the world for his monetary benefit. Because he controls so much of the market, he manages to buy a shipment of eggs at 7 cents an egg and sell them at 5 cents an egg and still make a profit. He manages this because he is in control of both the company which buys the eggs and the company which sells them. Through subtle and ridiculous manipulation of the market, he probably has more control than any other person in the world. In sharp contrast to this whimsical, comic nature of Milo is the gory, reoccurring scene of Snowden. Yossarian began his downward spiral into cynicism with the death of his copilot Snowden. Throughout the novel, the story slow unwinds of the traumatic experience of Snowden being shot while with Yossarian, and Snowden dying slowly in Yossarian's arms with his entrails splattered all over Yossarian's uniform. Snowden's final words were simply "I'm cold." Catch-22 is, in my opinion, one of the greatest books written on the insanity of war. The mechanisms Heller uses in his novel to portray confusion which may be hindrances only enhance the entire read of the novel. While many war stories manage to encompass the horror and meaninglessness of war, few if any other manage to do so with so much wit and humour. Nothing is more sickening then to find yourself emotionally connecting the horrible death of a human being with the abstract orders of an ambitious power seeker. Heller's story of the pursuit of life and the tragedy of death finds both the core values and issues at and, as well as the humour and insanity forever present in that never-ending reality: war.
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Summary: Katie's Review of Catch-22
Review: Book Description: Catch-22 is a tremendous blend of irony and satire. The book pokes fun at the paradoxes of everyday life in the military as it follows the tour of a young pilot, John Yossarian. Yossarian spends his tour of duty going from his station in Pianosa and the city of Rome, where the men meet with Italian prostitutes. While stationed Yossarian has to deal with the loss of many friends and the paradox of the mysterious catch-22, until he finally decides to leave using any means necessary. Review: The satire that Heller uses in Catch-22 is enough by itself to satisfy the reader. However, he also includes an interesting and action-packed storyline that is enough to make any reader enjoy the book. Heller's outlook on life, as expressed by the protagonist, offers a unique perspective on its irony. The use of a mysterious military directive, catch-22, is how Heller describes the irony best. For instance, Yossarian cannot be grounded from flight unless he asks to be due to insanity. However, according to catch-22, asking to be grounded demonstrates an appreciation for life, which constitutes sanity. The only downfall to Catch-22 is Heller's extreme use of stream-of-consciousness, the use of jumping through time as the protagonist remembers events. It is very confusing in the beginning of the book and makes the book difficult to start. However, as the book continues and more events are included, it becomes easier to establish a true timeline, and the book can fully be appreciated for the marvelous literary work that it is.
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Summary: Catch-22
Review: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (461 pages) Book: Description and Review: In short "Catch-22" is a humorous look at the lives of the soldiers in World War II. It is more than that, however. This novel depicts a life of impartiality, pain and boredom. The war is out side, and inside, but the men have their own ways of putting the horrific details and coping with the loss aside to live. Through the eyes of many different people the war and those involved are explored from many different points of view. This technique that Heller uses gives the reader a look at look at their lives and the way they are lived from every possible perspective. In a personal opinion the narration resembles a Faulkner story. Through the incessant ranting and frivelous ravings a mind and a story emerge. The "average Joe" is given his 15 minutes to shine with every turn of the page. This novel is recommended to those who not only enjoy war stories, but a good laugh as well. Heller's source of inspiration (W.W.II) is an admirable source. He found a quirky humor from the tragic war of the 1940s.
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Summary: Wow
Review: Book description: Set in late World War II, Joseph Heller's Catch-22 starts out with Yossarian meeting the Chaplain in the hospital. Yossarian was a pilot and was the main character in the book. Catch-22 tells the story of World War II through Yossarian's point of view, from hospital visits to bombing missions to showing up to his medal ceremony naked. The book also ranges in topic from a Major who everyone was too afraid of to ask his first name to a mess officer who runs a bogus company. Many topics are amusing, but the majority is not. They are very human. Review: Catch-22 is the most honest book I have ever read. It feels like I am sitting on Yossarian's shoulder for the whole book. I feel all his emotions and thoughts, and they seem so realistic. The characters are completely believable and I can imagine a real person behaving as they do. I feel like a part of the scenes in the book. The writing style is very good, too. Heller doesn't use flowery language or over describe situations. His language choice is absolutely perfect for the situations he is describing. Many novels from World War II seem unbelievable and overly heroic, but Catch-22 is not either of the two. It comes across as very human and realistic, and that is the main reason that I think it is so good.
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Summary: Overrated
Review: The most overrated book I've ever read. Catch 22 is filled with unfunny, Abbott and Costello-like "Who's on First?" dialogue that goes nowhere. Remember those old war movies wherein the acting was overly sappy and sub par? Well that's Catch 22. You'll find yourself getting the point, and tortuously trudging through several pages for the point to be complete. A must read for insomniacs.
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Summary: CATCH-22
Review: This book is great. I read it and its the best book ever. Im not kidding. It shows you how life on a bombing base was and Yosarrian is just the coolest character. This book is surprisingly funny to and there are over 50 characters. You should buy this book it's worth the dough.
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Summary: CATCH-22
Review: This book is great. I read it and its the best book ever. Im not kidding. This book is great. It shows you how life on a bombing base was and Yosarrian is just the coolest character. This book is surprisingly funny to and there are over 50 characters. You should buy this book it's worth the dough.
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Summary: A True Masterpiece
Review: This is truly one of the best pieces of liturature I have ever read. It captivated me, I found it hard to put the book down, even to rest my eyes for a minute. Heller does such a good job keeping your interest. The characters in this book come alive to you. You want desperately for Yosarian to make it through the war, and for something terrible to happen to Colonel Cathart. This book does a great job shedding light on the insanity of war, and of the terribly beaurocratic systems involved with everyday life. This book makes you laugh out loud, as well as making your stomach turn with apprehension. Its amazing.
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Summary: It was love at first sight.
Review: Catch-22 is simply the funniest book ever written. It is, in places, a deeply dark satire of the futility of war; where the lives of ordinary men are risked for the unattainable ideals and pointless pursuits of others. The reason that this book is so impossible to put down is that one moment it will have you rolling on the floor in laughing hysterically and the next crying uncontrollably over the tradgedy of the characters' situation. If I could only own one book, it would unquestionably be this one. If you read it once you'll read it a thousand times. Buy, read, enjoy. (Once you've read this you might like to visit: clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/yossarianlives to chat to other fans)
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Summary: A classic to behold.
Review: Catch 22 is definitely THE BEST book I've read yet. Joseph Heller's characters are very believable, from Yossarian to Colonel Cathcart. The plot is clear, but has its twists and turns, leaving the reader expecting more and getting it. The amazing amount of paradoxes in the book leave you pondering, and the beauty of it is that they all fit in with the book. Truly a must-read book!
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